Three designers, one mission
By Irene C. Perez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:22:00 07/28/2008
MANILA, Philippines - Rajo Laurel is, fashion-wise, a household name. The seasoned designer’s works are objects of desire, with posh celebrities, society princesses, brides and debutantes aching to wear his creations.
For someone who has made “couture” stuff from linen to wedding cakes, and turned rugs into “it” bags, Laurel seems to have the golden touch. So we offer him a new challenge for the upcoming Inquirer Fitness.Fashion Lifestyle series of shows: Transform active clothes into glam wear.
“Sportswear is something new to me, I’m used to doing suits, evening wear, gowns,” he says. “For the fashion show, I am doing very hip outerwear.”
Laurel goes urban chic by reconstructing handpicked items from the Aigle and Oxbow brands, throwing in some of his own items and mixing them to create fun but still elegant casual ensembles.
“It’s like this: There’s a triangle with Aigle, Oxbow and Rajo in the three corners, then I make sure we all meet in the middle,” he explains.
Instead of glaring brights and soft pastels, he opts for warm earth tones to imbibe the outdoors. Lots of browns, olives, green, beige and khakis define this fashion-and-fitness merger.
For this shoot, Laurel dressed up model Jedah in a chocolate-brown printed string bikini and khaki cargo men’s shorts from Aigle. A dark-brown reconstructed winter jacket from The North Face adds a warm and quirky surprise.
Accessories are minimal—a moss-green belt and aviators from Oxbow, while sunny-yellow wellies with sunflower prints from Aigle lend a burst of cheerful color.
Laurel says he made sure all the items are wearable, either together or as individual pieces.
“They can be used for hiking or camping. I see them being worn while you’re trekking at the Banawe Rice Terraces, then you can go swimming or surfing in La Union afterward.”
In lieu of kitschy sequins, beads and feathers, Laurel uses more utilitarian accents like scarves from Oxbow and bungee rope as bracelets.
Would this designer be interested in designing for a sports outfit?
“Of course, that would be very interesting,” he says with a smile.
Fun and functional
Joey Samson’s collection is best described in three words: fun, young and functional.
The articulate designer, known for his well-constructed tailored pieces and his ability to transform difficult fabrics into easy-to-wear feminine numbers, gives the popular local brand Bench a more fashionable twist.
“I’ve worked with Bench before and now I want to inject a different approach into this new project—something very wearable but I want to add a certain flavor to it,” he says.
Samson’s Inquirer Fitness.Fashion collection offers black-and-white with a tinge of red as accent color.
“The clothes will have Japanese aesthetics. I’m taking inspiration from Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe.”
But none of last season’s kimono tops, and more of oversized shirts and tight pants with natural waistlines. Enough of the low-waist trend, he says.
“I got a pair of Bench pants and tweaked it. I want a just-pulled-off-the-closet-and-randomly-put-together look.”
Samson will be using Bench shoes and bags as accessories, and smooth hair and light makeup for the show.
“I don’t want anything contrived. The keyword is clean and minimal.”
In other words, definitely nothing too organized for this young designer who wants his clothes light on the skin, including the wide-legged, fully sequined pants that he says anyone could wear. And we are looking forward to the reworked denim bodysuit for his model, swimmer Enchong Dee.
Any tips on how to dress up everyday workout wear?
“Try incorporating a trend, say safari, black lace, a statement jacket. Don’t be afraid to add a bit of color. For this season, it’s tomato or fatigue. Invest in classic pieces that you can work around with and that won’t just stay in the back of your closet.”
Practical pieces
You have to give credit to designer Arcy Gayatin for two things: knowing very well how to work with a woman’s body and taking an early morning flight from Cebu just for this shoot.
“I want to give women the freedom to move around,” the Cebuana says of her pieces for the Inquirer Fitness.Fashion show. “The clothes have relevance. They are practical and functional.”
With Gayatin, it’s all about details, details, details. Her clothes remain pretty and simple without comprising style. She is known for smart and clean silhouettes and geometric cutouts—all figure-friendly but never boring.
Marks and & Spencer gave Arcy the green light to tweak and tinker with the brand’s clothes for her collection.
“I took a Marks & Spencer camisole and embellished it to go with my skirt,” she says.
She also put floral appliqués on a rather plain spaghetti-strap tank and matched it with a soft black skirt draped with a silver drop sash. The result: a flowy and fluid number, elegant but with a punch.
Gayatin takes modern dance as anchor inspiration. “I want something that spells Martha Graham.” So, for this collection, she worked with solid colors like champagne black, white, metallics, silver gray. Her pairings are relaxed and smooth; even the hair and makeup are fresh and minimal.
The shift to sporty, says Gayatin, is a challenge. “But I’m lucky I’ve worked with jersey and stretch fabrics for the longest time. I think activewear can really be fashionable.”
Her tips on how to add oomph to your normal workout clothes:
Layer. Marks and Spencer’s camisoles have all the right colors and are great for layering.
Add a splash of metallic fabric to your basic sports wardrobe.
Tired of boring sneakers? Try patent leather.
Don a tank top and retro-print shorts instead of the usual running shorts-and-shirt combo.
“I like clothes that make it easy for the woman. We have enough to deal with,” she says.
Cebu is sure lucky to have Gayatin. Her ready-to-wear line is sold in L Manila at the Filipino designers’ wing of Greenbelt 5, Makati.
The Inquirer Lifestyle Fitness.Fashion is sponsored by Samsung, HSBC, The Peninsula Manila, Kipling, Speedo, Puma, Fila, Bench, Nike Golf, Marks & Spencer, Adidas, Aigle, Oxbow, Swatch and L’Oreal.
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